Method and Apparatus for Surreptitiously Triggering the Collection of Data from a Lost Wireless Communications Device Equipped with Audio And/Or Video Collection Means

1. A method for collecting data for purposes of recovering a lost wireless communications device, comprising: receiving at said lost wireless communications device a wireless transmission comprising a first trigger signal; responsive to said first trigger signal, operating said lost wireless communications device in an auto-location mode; selecting said auto-location mode to include automatically collecting audio and video data obtained at a location of said lost wireless communications device; automatically evaluating said video data, for the purpose of recovering the lost wireless communications device, when a GPS location fix or location of cell tower is detected as unavailable by the lost wireless communications device; automatically communicating said audio and video data in response to evaluation of the video data; entering a standby mode after said automatically collecting and communicating step, and repeating said automatically collecting and communicating step responsive to a second trigger signal, said second trigger signal comprising a detected change in state of said lost wireless communications device exclusive of a wireless transmission comprising said first trigger signal; said change in state is a manipulation of said lost wireless communications device, and is selected from a group consisting of: opening a cover of said lost wireless communications device, grasping said lost wireless communications device, and detecting a human pulse.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting said data to include video data, and selecting said automatically evaluating step to include automatically determining if said video data includes an image of a human face within said video data.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting said data to include video data, and selecting said automatically evaluating step to include automatically detecting the presence of one or more edges or objects in an image defined by said video data.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further wherein said manipulation is selected to include activating an input key of said wireless communications device.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said change of state is selected to include a change in a signal strength data, a base station location data, a base station sector data, or a received GPS signal strength.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting said collecting and communicating step to include communicating said data to a network server accessible via a computer network.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting said first auto-location trigger signal to include a communications initiated by a telephone handset.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said communications initiated by said telephone handset includes at least one user password code which is required to enable said auto-location mode.

9. A wireless communications device (WCD) configurable to be recovered when lost, comprising: an antenna configured for receiving a wireless transmission comprising a first trigger signal; a central processing unit comprising one or more components responsive to said first trigger signal for generating at least a first auto-location command signal for operating said lost wireless communications device in an auto-location mode; at least one data collector comprising one or more components capable of collecting audio and video data corresponding to a location of said lost WCD responsive to said first auto-location command signal from said central processing unit for collecting at least video data obtained at a location of said wireless communications device; wherein said central processing unit is configured for evaluating video data and wherein said central processing unit is configured to direct communication of said audio and video data in response to evaluation of the video data; a state detection device comprising at least one sensor responsive to a change in state of said wireless communications device exclusive of a wireless transmission comprising an trigger signal; said change in state is a manipulation of said wireless communications device, and is selected from a group consisting of: opening a cover of said wireless communications device, grasping said wireless communications device, and detecting a human pulse; and said at least one data collector responsive to said second trigger signal for collecting at least a second data obtained at said location.

10. The wireless communications device according to claim 9 , wherein said central processing unit is configured for automatically determining if said video data includes an image of a human face within said video data.

11. The wireless communications device according to claim 9 , wherein said central processing unit is configured for automatically detecting the presence of one or more edges or objects in an image defined by said video data.

12. The wireless communications device according to claim 9 , further wherein said manipulation is selected to include activating an input key of said wireless communications device.

13. The wireless communications device according to claim 9 , wherein said change of state is selected to include a change in a signal strength data, a base station location data, a base station sector data, or a received GPS signal strength.